There was the glory of Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who won the first medal (a gold, nonetheless) for a South American country in a Winter Olympics ever, and then celebrated with an instantly iconic gesture atop the podium after winning the freestyle skiing competition.

The 2026 Winter Olympics captured the attention of millions of Americans this month thanks to several improbable comeback stories, an aggressive promotional campaign by host network NBC and partisan debate over some U.